From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Tests conducted on water pump cavitation for radiators.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 15\1\ Scan194 | |
| Date | 10th January 1930 | |
| X7250 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Ry. Rg.{Mr Rowledge} c. to Lr.{Mr Ellor} HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/MJ10.1.30. X5250 X7250 X 4516 X 766 RADIATORS. With reference to Rl1/M16.12.29. We have carried out a number of tests on water pump cavitation both on the bench and on the complete car. The bench tests were carried out with a pump circulating water through a heating tank to represent the cylinder block and drawing through a radiator. As will be seen, the results upset our previous conceptions on what occurs when cavitation takes place. Curve 1. shews the temperatures corresponding to various depressions at which we should expect steam to form, and so cavitation to take place, on the suction side of the pump. Curves 2 and 3 taken on the bench, shew that actually cavitation takes place at temperatures appreciably below those we should expect, partly possibly due to the fact that our depressions were measured in the intake to the pump and were without doubt less than the depressions apertaining at the eye of the pump rotor, and partly due to steam bubbles forming before boiling temperature is actually reached. The important fact however, is that when cavitation does take place the flow of water does not fall to zero. On the contrary it remains constant at the figure which | ||